The present invention relates generally to an information reproducing apparatus, an information reproducing method, and a program storage medium and, more particularly, to an information reproducing apparatus, an information reproducing method, and a program storage medium that are adapted to accept interruptions from the outside the information reproducing apparatus.
Recent popularization of stereo headphones easily allows people to listen to radio and music for example even in vehicles and while walking.
However, use of stereo headphones makes it difficult to hear the sounds coming from the outside the headphones, which may make calling by someone or in-vehicle broadcast unnoticed by the user of headphones.
The stereo headphones installed in particular places such as on the passenger seats of airliners and trains are predesigned to accept the interruption of in-vehicle broadcast, thereby preventing the risk of letting the broadcast unnoticed by the passengers using headphones.
However, the installations of interruption accepting headphones are limited to such particular places as mentioned above. This interruption accepting capability has not been realized in the stereo headphones designed to be owned by general consumers and for use in general places.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an information reproducing apparatus, an information reproducing method, and a program storage medium that allow stereo headphones to be interrupted from the outside with ease and in a wider range while the user is listening to music or radio in any place.
In carrying out the invention and according to one aspect thereof, there is provided an information reproducing apparatus for reproducing data stored in a recording medium loaded in the information reproducing apparatus, comprising: a connecting means for executing a connection procedure for making connection with a communication device; a receiving means for receiving data supplied from the communication device on the basis of a result obtained by the execution of the connection procedure by the connecting means; a sending means for sending a notification to the communication device of an acceptance of the connection on the basis of the result obtained by the execution of the connection procedure by the connecting means; and a switching means for switching, when the sending of the notification by the sending means has completed, an output of the information reproducing apparatus from data reproduced from the recording medium to data received by the receiving means.
An information reproducing apparatus according to another aspect of the present invention may further include selecting means for selecting whether or not the connection procedure by connecting means will be executed, wherein a sending means sends a notification to a communication device on the basis of a result of the selection made by the selecting means.
The data reproduced from the recording medium and the data supplied from the communication device are voice data.
The data reproduced from the recording medium and the data supplied from the communication device are image data.
In carrying out the invention and according to still another aspect thereof, there is provided an information reproducing method comprising the steps of: executing a connection procedure for making connection with a communication device; receiving data supplied from the communication device on the basis of a result obtained by the execution of the connection procedure by the connecting means; sending a notification to the communication device of an acceptance of the connection on the basis of the result obtained by the execution of the connection procedure by the connecting means; and switching, when the sending of the notification by the sending means has completed, an output of the information reproducing apparatus from data reproduced from the recording medium to data received by the receiving means.
In carrying out the invention and according to still another aspect thereof, there is provided a program storage medium storing a computer-readable program comprising the steps of: executing a connection procedure for making connection with a communication device; receiving data supplied from the communication device on the basis of a result obtained by the execution of the connection procedure by the connecting means; sending a notification to the communication device of an acceptance of the connection on the basis of the result obtained by the execution of the connection procedure by the connecting means; and switching, when the sending of the notification by the sending means has completed, an output of the information reproducing apparatus from data reproduced from the recording medium to data received by the receiving means.
As described and according to the information reproducing apparatus, the information reproducing method, and the program storage medium associated with the present invention, a procedure for connection between a communication device and an information reproducing device is executed and, on the basis of the result of this execution, the information reproducing device receives data from the communication device. When, on the basis of the result of the connection procedure, the acceptance of connection is sent from the information reproducing device to the communication device, the output to the headphones is switched from the data to be reproduced from a recording medium to the data received from the communication device.